Definitions for palimpsest
ˈpæl ɪmpˌsɛstpalimpsest

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.5 / 2 votes

1. palimpsestnoun

   a manuscript (usually written on papyrus or parchment) on which more than one text has been written with the earlier writing incompletely erased and still visible

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 2 votes

1. palimpsestnoun

   A manuscript or document that has been erased or scraped clean, for reuse of the paper, parchment, vellum, or other medium on which it was written. Many historical texts have been recovered using ultraviolet light and other technologies to read the erased writing.

2. palimpsestnoun

   Monumental brasses that have been reused by engraving of the blank back side.

3. palimpsestnoun

   Circular features believed to be lunar craters that have been obliterated by later volcanic activity.

4. palimpsestnoun

   Geological features thought to be related to features or effects below the surface.

5. palimpsestnoun

   Memory that has been erased and re-written.

6. palimpsestnoun

   Something bearing the traces of an earlier, erased form.

7. palimpsestverb

   To scrape clean, as in parchment, for reuse.

8. palimpsestverb

   On paper: to reuse, often by erasure or change of pen direction or color. Especially fueled by Earth Day.

   Typically refers to a multi-layered work, e.g.u03BB new ads covering old on a roadside sign.

9. Etymology: From palimpsestus, from.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. palimpsest

   A palimpsest is a manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has been erased to make room for later writing but of which traces remain. This term can also be used metaphorically to refer to something reused or altered while still retaining traces of its earlier form.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:4.7 / 3 votes

1. Palimpsestnoun

   a parchment which has been written upon twice, the first writing having been erased to make place for the second

2. Etymology: [L. palimpsestus, Gr. pali`mpshstos scratched or scraped again, pali`mpshston a palimpsest; pa`lin again + psh^n to rub, rub away: cf. F. palimpseste.]

WikidataRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Palimpsest

   A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped or washed off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped clean and used again”. Romans wrote on wax-coated tablets that could be smoothed and reused, and a passing use of the term "palimpsest" by Cicero seems to refer to this practice. The term has come to be used in similar context in a variety of disciplines, notably architectural archaeology.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Palimpsest

   pal′imp-sest, n. a manuscript which has been written upon twice, the first writing having been rubbed off to make room for the second: an engraved brass plate, with a new inscription on the reverse side. [Gr. palimpsēston—palin, again, psēstos, rubbed.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Palimpsest

   the name given to a parchment manuscript written on the top of another that has been erased, yet often not so thoroughly that it cannot be in a measure restored.

Matched Categories

1. • Manuscript

Anagrams for palimpsest »

1. past simple

2. simple past

3. simple-past

How to pronounce palimpsest?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say palimpsest in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of palimpsest in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of palimpsest in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=palimpsest
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Palimpsest
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palimpsest
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=palimpsest
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=palimpsest
7. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Palimpsest